With the flickering of a candle, love sparks. Two hands meet in the dark and four
friends’ lives are changed forever.

The way first love grabs hold and floods you with something you’ve never
felt before. The fire that burns the first time jealousy flares. The growing up you
do in the instant that you realise love can’t last forever. Puccini takes these
achingly human feelings and sets them to music — music that soars with the ecstasy
of love, crackles with the pain of jealousy and cries with the agony of loss.

Some human emotions are too big for words alone, and for that, we have music. La
Bohème exposes your soul to the feelings that only music can express.

Gale Edwards’ glittering production is set among the fishnets and fairy lights
of 1930s bohemian Berlin.

“This revival of 2011's deft production
by Australian theatre director Gale Edwards is an absolute gem”

—Sunday Telegraph

A poet, a painter, a musician and a philosopher walk into a bar (no really!) to
celebrate a sudden windfall in a lean winter. It’s Christmas Eve, and the poet
has just felt the first pangs of great love. When a seamstress knocks on his door
searching for candlelight, the pair fall in love faster than she can sing, "Yes,
they call me Mimì…"

Between the ideals of love and art and the cruel realities of cold winters, bitter
jealousies and empty pockets, two sets of lovers are trying to find their way.

By the time the curtain falls, you’ll know the answer to an eternal question:

Act I

It is Christmas Eve. Rodolfo, a poet, and Marcello, a painter, are freezing in
their studio. Marcello is painting The Crossing of the Red Sea. Colline, a philosopher,
arrives as the fire Rodolfo has lit with one of his manuscripts, flickers and dies.
Schaunard brings reinforcements — food, wine and fuel for the fire, bought with
unexpected money from his earnings as a musician.

A knock at the door and Benoit, the landlord, arrives demanding the rent. The four
Bohemians ply him with wine and then bundle him off. Marcello, Colline and Schaunard
go off to join the celebrations at Café Momus. Promising to join them soon, Rodolfo
settles down to finish an article he is writing.

There is another knock. This time it is a neighbour, Mimì — a beautiful
young seamstress, holding her key and an unlit candle. She begs a light and Rodolfo
obliges. Mimì departs and drops her key. Together they search for the key, and
their hands touch. They tell each other about themselves and Rodolfo passionately
declares his love. The new lovers then set off into the night to join the others.

Act II

The square in which Café Momus is situated is the Bohemians' favourite
haunt, bustling with shoppers and hawkers. Rodolfo buys his new love a bonnet.

At the café, Marcello's old flame, Musetta, appears with a new admirer,
Alcindoro. To attract Marcello's attention, Musetta bursts into her famous waltz
song. Marcello responds and Musetta, pretending that her shoe is pinching, dispatches
Alcindoro to a cobbler. She joins in the revelry with Marcello and his friends. When
they depart they leave a reminder for the hapless Alcindoro on his return —
a huge bill!

Act III

It is daybreak just inside a tollgate. Snow lies on the ground. Mimì emerges
from the throng of workers. She is looking for Marcello at a nearby inn where he and
Musetta have been living for the past month. Pale and agitated, she tells him of Rodolfo's
jealousy which has made their life together impossible.

Mimì hides as Rodolfo suddenly appears. He declares her to be unfaithful,
but then confides to Marcello that Mimì is very ill and blames himself and his
poverty for not being able to help her. Mimì's sudden coughing betrays her
presence and the lovers sadly decide it is best that they part.

Their parting duet is interrupted by the sounds of a fierce quarrel between Marcello
and Musetta. Mimì and Rodolfo decide to stay together until spring returns.

Act IV

The studio, months later.

Both pairs of lovers have now parted. Mimì and Musetta have found wealthy
admirers. Rodolfo and Marcello feign indifference, but neither can forget the
memory of his love. Schaunard and Colline arrive with meagre food and the four sit
down to a mock 'banquet'.

While they are acting the fool, Musetta rushes in with news that Mimì is desperately
ill and has asked to be brought back to Rodolfo to die. Musetta explains that the
Viscount has discarded Mimì and she has been living on the streets for weeks
sinking further into poverty and desperation. The Bohemians rally to the cause. Musetta
pawns her earrings and Colline his beloved coat to buy medicine for Mimì.

Alone for a short time, Mimì and Rodolfo recall the past, reliving their short
spell of happiness and their dreams together. Mimì, seized by a coughing fit,
falls back, exhausted. When the others return, she weakly thanks them for their kindness
and falls asleep.

It is Schaunard who first notices that Mimì is dead. Rodolfo is the last to
realise, by seeing the truth on his friends' faces.